BEIRUT: Syrian border authorities reportedly prevented a bus transporting Saudi nationals from Syria into Lebanon from crossing the border through Syria’s Jdeidet Yabus crossing on Thursday.
Lebanon opened its border with Syria for the second time since closing it on March 15 as part of measures to curb the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). It had approved the entry of 100 people through Lebanon’s Al-Masnaa and Aboudieh border crossings on both Tuesday and Thursday.
A diplomatic source familiar with the matter told Arab News, “The Syrian authorities demanded that the Saudi Foreign Ministry contact its Syrian counterpart to schedule the evacuation of Saudi citizens before they are allowed to leave its territory.”
The source said that the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Lebanon was trying to arrange the evacuation of 30 Saudis living in Syria, in line with the Saudi Foreign Ministry’s decision to evacuate Saudi nationals from all countries witnessing a spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The request had been approved by the Lebanese government,” the source said.
“The Saudi nationals came to Jdeidet Yabus crossing at 8 a.m. to wait for the bus. When the bus finally arrived, they were surprised when a Syrian officer prevented the bus from completing its mission. He told them that the Saudi Foreign Ministry needed to contact its Syrian counterpart,” the source explained.
“They were in contact with the Kingdom’s embassy in Lebanon all the time and provided it with these details.”
After the Syrian war broke out in 2012, Saudi Arabia cut all diplomatic relations with the Syrian regime, closed its embassy in Damascus, and expelled the Syrian ambassador from the Kingdom. So, currently, the Kingdom has no official diplomatic relations with Syria.
“That is why the embassy asked its nationals to return to Damascus and stay there until the problem is solved,” the source said.
“The Saudi Embassy has informed the Lebanese and Saudi Foreign Ministries about what happened.”
A Lebanese security official at Al-Masnaa crossing said: “A bus sent by the Saudi Embassy in Lebanon crossed the Lebanese borders toward the Syrian crossing of Jdeidet Yabus to transport Saudi nationals to Lebanon. It waited there and returned empty. Several Lebanese buses crossed the Syrian border and brought back Lebanese nationals, while two large buses transported US citizens.”
The two buses carrying US nationals, some of whom are believed to be Syrians with American citizenship, were accompanied by members of the Lebanese General Security.
The Lebanese returnees were tested for COVID-19 before being quarantined pending the results. All of those who returned on Tuesday tested negative for the virus.
The Lebanese National News Agency has reported that a third repatriation stage may be scheduled as so many nationals have registered their desire to return to Lebanon.
Meanwhile, an American aircraft landed at Beirut airport in the evening with 41 Lebanese students who were in the US.
The same plane transported the Americans who evacuated to Lebanese territory in the afternoon from Syria.
